Florida

JUNE 16, 2013 Q: I am sitting in the dark, scared of how the Heat are going to come out for Game 5. Do they realize the magnitude of winning this game, or are they just going to mail it in like every other game? -- Albert. A: I hardly would consider losing to the Pacers or Spurs a case of mailing it in. These are good teams playing their biggest games of the season. Now, if you're asking why there isn't more consistency, that's a different, and legitimate, question.

South Florida pays some of the nation's highest ATM fees and overdraft charges, according to a new survey by Bankrate.com. The average out-of-network ATM fee in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties jumped 37 cents in a year to $4.63 per transaction, the North Palm Beach-based consumer website reported. The fee is nearly 9 percent more than last year's average charge of $4.26, Bankrate said. It's the sixth-highest of the 25 largest metro areas. Nationally, out-of network ATM fees grew 5 percent to an average of $4.35.

How does a girl accomplish her goal of learning robotics? Or defy gender stereotypes and become a firefighter, leading a team of other heroes? How? It's simple: She becomes a Girl Scout. Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida is making the world a better place while making a lasting impression on the lives of volunteers and girls. Recent Girl Scout Research Institute research shows that 95 percent of volunteers say they make a difference in the lives of girls, and 74 percent of parents say their girls have gained entrepreneurial and business skills.

Remember that department store clerk, the one who scribbled your Florida driver`s license number on the check you wrote? Well, it was more than just a number. You can count on that. In fact, your 11-digit driver`s license number is a secret code containing your full name, your birthdate and your sex. And the 86-year-old man who invented the code gets $1,000 a year in royalties, courtesy of Florida taxpayers. For 20 years, Ralph K. Niemoeller of St. Louis has earned his fee on the Alphabetic-Numeric Name Code, the basis for 11.1 million driver`s license numbers in Florida.

A Connecticut man who has admitted killing and mutilating a Springfield, Mass., prostitute has a criminal record for sex offenses in Florida and lived in the Pompano Beach area for about five years. Louis W. Strunk moved to Florida about five years ago and traveled all over the state. He left Florida in October. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said that Strunk, 36, was arrested in July 1992 in Winter Park on charges of indecent assault and fondling a child. The records did not include the disposition.

As to last week's puzzler, between the comments on Florida 360 and Facebook, the guesses were split 50/50 between a palm frond and feather. And the winner is... feather! I guess we need to make these a little harder. Last week's close-up. (Amy Beth Bennett, Sun Sentinel)

The citizens of Broward County voted years ago for gambling. They were not asked what kind of gambling. Since then, legislators have done everything to derail the vote. Now you want to give the Seminoles blackjack, and not the rest of the casinos. This is a slap in the face to local businesses. They have put a lot of money into their properties because they expected all types of gambling. They will not grow if they can't compete with the Indians. Do the right thing. Put them on an even playing field and we all win. Broward County, citizens, and Florida.

South Florida's hospitals are among the best in the nation, if there's anything to be gleaned from the annual medical center rankings that are all the rage in the patient watchdog landscape these days. The Leapfrog Group, for example, awarded an "A" grade for patient safety to 27 South Florida hospitals in its fall 2013 report - or 57 percent of the 47 scored. And 32 area hospitals made the Joint Commission's 2013 list of "Top Performers" in their specialties - at least 12 more than the year before.

Panthers at Stars When/where: 8:30 p.m., American Airlines Arena, Dallas TV: None Radio: None Scouting Report: The Panthers are looking for their first win of the preseason, having gone 0-2-1, including a doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Nashville Predators on Saturday, a 2-1 shootout followed by a 4-1 loss in the nightcap. ... Panthers F Brandon Pirri has two goals in two games played and D Shane O'Brien has a goal and an assist as he vies for a contract.

Florida's west coast, including Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Sanibel Island, offers a quick, easy and relatively inexpensive option for a family road trip. Fort Myers Just north of Naples, Fort Myers is a gateway to the Sanibel Island and Cape Coral communities. In its downtown River District, the Edison & Ford Winter Estates serve up both science and history with a botanic research lab and the Edison Ford Inventions Museum. The nearby Imaginarium Science Center delivers a hands-on education with a touch tank, an animal lab, a fish-feeding lagoon and the Hurricane Experience. Baseball fans who missed the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins during spring training can still get in on the action with the Fort Myers Miracle, which play at Hammond Stadium in summer and fall. Foodie families can get their fixes, too. Sun Harvest Citrus has a free sample bar for its fresh-squeezed juices and an array of Key Lime-flavored treats, including ice cream and pies.

“I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them,” Mark Twain once observed. If “the more, the merrier” is your philosophy for this year's vacation with family and friends, several strategies are the keys to successful reunions - to ensure you don't end the vacation enemies. Communicate! Get input from every member of the group as to timeframe, destination, lodging, activities, etc., and select a leader who will make the final decisions and arrangements.

For those who love to get away from it all to enjoy the great outdoors - but definitely prefer to do so without roughing it - there is a trend that is growing in popularity: “glamping” or glamorous camping. Here are some options in Florida you may wish to check out when you want to enjoy the great outdoors with the family with comfort: Westgate River Ranch Located an hour south of Orlando, this property is billed as the largest guest ranch west of the Mississippi.

Come Election Day, voting "Yes on One" is a no-brainer. Passing Amendment One raises nobody's taxes. Nor does it raise any tax rate. This proposed "Water and Land Conservation" amendment to Florida's Constitution simply directs the Legislature to spend about one percent of Florida's $77 billion budget on acquiring and managing public lands and water resources. It's not complicated - unless, of course, you are of a mind that the Legislature's spending decisions are always "perfect in every respect.

Hungry? If you are in Florida this fall, you can bring your appetite to various food festivals, including one of the nation's largest, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival in Orlando. The festival, celebrating its 19th year and running Sept. 19 through Nov. 10, invites visitors to walk around the park's World Showcase sampling dishes at various international marketplaces. Among the novelties this year is the debut of a Patagonia marketplace featuring flavors from Argentina and Chile, including sustainable roasted Verlasso salmon, quinoa salad and arugula chimichurri.

Resorts have pools, of course, but what separates the men from the boys when it comes to H2O fun is having a water park right on the premises - talk about making a splash more conveniently particularly for families! With a water park onsite you don't have to pack the kids and gear into the car, drive to another location and park, so you have more time to spend in the water. Here are just some resorts that boast a water park on their premises in a variety of popular Florida destinations.